ADOLESCENTS’ TEXT
MESSAGING AND THE
DEVELOPMENT OF ANTISOCIAL
BEHAVIOR
1
Samuel E Ehrenreich, Ph.D.
The University of Texas at Dallas
OVERVIEW OF PRESENTATION
Talk about the role of peer influence in youths’
involvement in antisocial behavior
 Discuss some specific features of text messaging
that may make it ideal for antisocial
communication



Present findings from an observational study of the
content of adolescents’ text messages.
Discuss steps parents and school administrators
can take to reduce the possible negative influence
of texting
PEER INFLUENCE ON ANTISOCIAL BEHAVIOR


Frequency of interaction affects the strength of peer
influence (Agnew, 1991; Barry & Wentzel, 2006)
Peer Contagion Hypothesis (Dishion & Dodge, 2005)
Establish deviant group norms
 Restrict interaction opportunities with normative peers
 Provide instrumental support for antisocial behavior

3
PEER INFLUENCE ON ANTISOCIAL BEHAVIOR

Deviancy Training – when
antisocial youth encourage and
reinforce their peers’ discussion of
delinquency.
Antisocial dyads discuss more
negative topics than normative
youth (Dishion et al., 1995)
 They are also more likely to
reinforce their peers discussing
delinquent topics (Piehler & Dishion,
2007)

Peer Influence on Antisocial Behavior


Interpersonal communication about delinquent
topics is a mechanism through antisocial
behavior develops.
Text Message communication may be an ideal
forum for youth to discuss antisocial activities.
TEXT MESSAGE COMMUNICATION

Adolescents use text messaging (SMS) heavily
Over 77% of adolescents own cell phones
 63% of teens report sending at least 1 text everyday
 Median rate of 60 messages sent per day
(Lenhart et al., 2012)


SMS may be an ideal forum for discussing
antisocial topics because:
Discreet
 Constant access to peers
 Largely unsupervised

(Ling, 2004b)
6
TEXTING AND ANTISOCIAL BEHAVIOR

Few studies have examined the role of text
message communication and involvement in
antisocial behaviors.

Ling, 2005a


Underwood, Rosen, Beron & Ehrenreich, submitted
for review


Texting frequency predicted self-reported problems at
school, truancy, and alcohol use
Youth following high social aggression, high physical
aggression and high joint social and physical aggression
trajectories sent and received more text messages.
Studies have focused on frequency and relied on
self-reports of electronic communication
7
THE BLACKBERRY PROJECT:
AN OBSERVATIONAL STUDY


No previous research had examined how the
actual content of adolescents’ text messaging
relates to antisocial behavior
178 adolescents (89 girls) provided with
BlackBerry devices
66% Caucasian, 17.5% Hispanic, 8.5% African
American, and 14% did not report/of mixed race.
 Median income between $26,000 – 75,000


Also collected information participants’ parents
(152 mothers) and participants’ language arts
teachers
8
METHOD – MICRO CODING
Four days of SMS communication (in 2-day
transcripts) were assigned to a team of 24 coders
 Coding system designed primarily to capture
social aggression and prosocial communication.

Property Crimes - κ = 1.0
 Physical Aggression - κ = .72
 Rule-Breaking - κ = .94
 Substance Use Codes - κ = .90

9
DISCUSSION OF ANTISOCIAL TOPICS VIA
TEXTING
Descriptive Statistics of Antisocial and Non-Antisocial Utterances via SMS Over a 4 Day
Period: Entire Sample
Number of
Type of Utterance
M
SD
Min. Max.
participantsa
Non-Antisocial Utterances
172 (100%) 426 (98.38%)
401.2
3 2136
Antisocial Utterances (Collapsed) 102 (59.3%) 7 (1.62%)
21.9
0 253
Rule-Breaking
53 (30.81%) 1.8 (.42%)
4.6
0
36
Illicit Substances
48 (27.91%) 3.2 (.74%)
17.8
0 217
Physical Aggression
57 (33.14%) 1.7 (.39%)
5.1
0
40
Property Crimes
11 (6.4%)
0.2 (.05%)
1.2
0
11
Total Utterances
172 (100%)
433
409.6
3 2201
Note. Numbers outside parentheses indicate raw frequency of utterances, numbers inside parentheses
10
indicate percentage of utterances
a
Number of participants who engaged in each type of utterance
RULE-BREAKING BEHAVIOR
Friday:
(08:21:43 AM) Katherine says to Juan (P):
I gotta math test today. Can we skip at ur crib?
(08:21:45 AM) Juan (P) says to Katherine:
no my big bros home today and he awake already. y cant
we stay at ur house
(08:34:11 AM) Katherine says to Juan (P):
My moms not workin today. Could we stay at Louis’s
house?
11
RULE-BREAKING BEHAVIOR
Thursday:
(11:44:48 AM) Stephanie says to Roselyn (P):
what up
(11:44:50 AM) Roselyn (P) says to Stephanie:
Nthin {just} drivin ma lil sis to da store
(12:56:33 PM) Stephanie says to Roselyn (P):
girl when you get your license?
(12:56:36 PM) Roselyn (P) says to Stephanie:
I don't got ma license yet
(12:56:38 PM) Stephanie says to Roselyn (P):
Oh so you givin a ride with a bike?
(12:56:40 PM) Roselyn (P) says to Stephanie:
No ma mom car
(01:07:11 PM) Stephanie says to Roselyn (P):
Ok lol
12
PHYSICAL AGGRESSION
Tuesday:
(07:50:30 PM) Dave (P) says to Rachel:
Yeaa i saw u like {2} times today:):):) & haha sammy {got} beat
upp by like 6 pakistan kids lol He like punched 1 of them cause
they were talkin trash in their
(07:50:33 PM) Dave (P) says to Rachel:
language but then they all jumped himmm. That suckkss
Friday:
(11:12:18 PM) Raul (P) says to Sandy:
Mark {and} his lil bro jason haha fought roger n his cuzin. Haha u
should uf seen Jason. dat nigga got crazy as hell
(11:12:56 PM) Sandy says to Raul (P):
For real. Who whooped lil roger? Ha i bet jason lol
(11:13:40 PM) Raul (P) says to Sandy:
Na Mark did. roger 2 big 4 jason
(11:17:34 PM) Sandy says to Raul (P):
Haha man lil roger funny. But i wanna see you n george box
13
SUBSTANCE USE
Tuesday:
(03:27:55 PM) Alicia (P) says to Charlie:
Gud imma need it {$20 worth or marijuana}. I wanna smoke so badly
I've neva been dis sober at school befo
Friday:
(11:32:03 AM) Mindy (P) says to Daisy:
Hey daisy {let’s} skip 4th so we can {smoke marijuana}
(11:53:41 AM) Daisy says to Mindy (P):
That’s a great idea!!! but I’m already in class
(11:53:44 PM) Mindy (P) says to Daisy:
ok letz skip 5th. were do we meet so I can give u sum?
(11:54:27 AM) Daisy says to Mindy (P):
I can’t skip 5th period. I have a test
14
(11:54:30 AM) Mindy (P) says to (SMS):
ok go to da restroomz were we met last time. well just {smoke} quick
SUBSTANCE USE
Saturday:
(11:23:27 AM) Griffin (P) says to Michelle:
Lol i have bought 85 dollars worth in all my weed life. It lasted for a long
time. Still lasting.
(11:23:29 AM) Michelle says to Griffin (P):
Dang son.
(11:23:31 AM) Griffin (P) says to Michelle:
I didnt buy it all at once! And i use a pipe which conserves weed. Its amazing
shit what pipes can do.
(11:34:11 AM) Michelle says to Griffin (P):
Yeah dude I see that now
(11:34:14 AM) Griffin (P) says to Michelle:
Lol hey i always get my shit from my guy in {town}. He gets me lots for
cheap, like $20 for 5 grams.
(11:34:17 AM) Michelle says to Griffin (P):
Haha you've gotten the connections
(11:34:20 AM) Griffin (P) says to Michelle:
Yeah i only buy from Nick if i want that A-1 shit. That is the best shit ever.
(11:34:22 AM) Michelle says to Griffin (P):
Haha. Alright. I don't wanna get hooked.
(11:34:26 AM) Griffin (P) says to Michelle:
Lol dont! Its expensive. But yeah dont buy from Nick its too expensive and it 15
would ruin other types of weed cause they wont get you as high as A-1.
SUBSTANCE USE
Saturday:
(03:32:45 PM) Lee (P) says to Trish:
Its cool. Man I really want a joint right now
(03:32:47 PM) Trish says to Lee (P):
haha.
(03:32:51 PM) Lee (P) says to Trish:
I think I should b the 1st person u get hi with
(03:32:52 PM) Trish says to Lee (P):
haha. Me too.
(03:32:55 PM) Lee (P) says to Trish:
Really?!? WHEN!!!!!?????
(03:32:57 PM) Trish says to Lee (P):
I dont know.
(03:33:00 PM) Lee (P) says to Trish:
Next time I see u??? I won't fuck u up to bad. DUDE!!! We can watch
Friday {the movie}!!!!
(03:47:07 PM) Trish says to Lee (P):
Haha. Yes we should.

16
PROPERTY CRIMES
Sunday:
(07:20:47 PM) Nora (P) says to Josh:
So wut happenin
(08:46:12 PM EST) Josh says to Nora (P):
{Nothing,} jus fuckin {stole} a shit load of condoms from wal
mart. and u?
Friday:
(11:30:52 PM) Roger (P) says to Nina:
Yeah and during advisory ms smith gave me and Lee her car
keys to go get something and we got in her car and put it in drive
and hit a car and it left a Huge {dent} but she never noticed
(11:41:43 PM) Roger (P) says to Nina:
those were good times
(11:55:57 PM) Nina says to Roger (P):
17
Haha
RESULTS - DESCRIPTION


Adolescents engage in antisocial and deviant
conversations via SMS.
Much of the antisocial communication displays
the features of Deviancy Training:
Encourages involvement and reinforces this behavior
as appropriate
 Conveys instrumental knowledge on how one engages
in these behaviors

18
METHOD - MEASURES
Does this antisocial text messaging relate to
subsequent involvement in antisocial behavior?
 Baseline Antisocial Behavior – Parent, Teacher,
and Self-reports were collected in the
spring/summer before 9th grade


Rule-breaking behavior subscale


Aggressive behavior subscale


“breaks rules”, “lies”, “cheats”, “sets fires”
“argues a lot”, “gets in fights”, “attacks people”
Outcome ratings – Parent, Teacher, and Selfreports were collected again in the
spring/summer before 10th grade
19
RESULTS – RULE-BREAKING BEHAVIOR
Regression Analyses Predicting Parent, Teacher, and Self-Reports of 9th Grade Rule Breaking from Gender
and Delinquent SMS Utterances
Gender
Baseline Rule-Breakinga
Total Utterances
Antisocial Utterances
n
a
Self Report
b
SE
β
.09
.13 .05
Teacher Report
b
SE
β
.1
.1
.08
Parent Report
b
SE
β
.08 .08 .05
.34** .1 .27**
.00* .00 .17*
10.24** 3.0 .28**
138
.23** .09 .22**
.00
.00 .07
10.7** 2.41 .37**
134
.85** .06 .72**
-.00 .00 -.01
7.41** 1.66 .24**
142
Baseline Rule Breaking collected in 8th grade. Baseline and outcome ratings have corresponding reporters
* p <.05; **p <.01
20
RESULTS – AGGRESSIVE BEHAVIOR
Regression Analyses Predicting Parent, Teacher, and Self-Reports of 9th Grade Aggressive Behavior from
Gender and Delinquent SMS Utterances
Gender
Baseline Aggressive Behaviora
Total Utterances
Antisocial Utterances
n
a
Self Report
b
SE
β
.16
.15 .09
Teacher Report
b
SE
β
.21
.16
.1
Parent Report
b
SE
β
.07
.1 .04
.4
.33 .11
.00
.00 .13
9.46** 3.44 .25**
137
.35** .09 .32**
.1
.00
.1
9.44** 3.56 .22**
134
.77** .06 .73**
.00 .00 .08
-.14 2.21 -.00
142
Baseline Aggressive Behavior collected in 8th grade. Baseline and outcome ratings have corresponding reporters
* p <.05; **p <.01
21
DISCUSSION


Adolescents use SMS communication as a forum for
antisocial conversation.
Antisocial talk via SMS significantly predicts later
involvement in rule-breaking and aggressive behavior

With the exception of parent reports of Aggressive
Behavior
22
SO WHAT CAN BE DONE ABOUT IT?

Parental Monitoring is one of the strongest
protective factors against involvement with
deviant peers and engaging in antisocial
behavior.

Monitor (mon-i-tor), verb: “to observe and check the
progress or quality of something over a period of
time; to keep under systematic review”
23
SO WHAT CAN BE DONE ABOUT IT?

Parental Monitoring is one of the strongest
protective factors against involvement with
deviant peers and engaging in antisocial
behavior.


Monitor (mon-i-tor), verb: “to observe and check the
progress or quality of something over a period of
time; to keep under systematic review”
Evidence suggests parents have very little
knowledge of their children’s texting behavior (as
well as other digital communication forums)

Parents are the first (and arguable most important)
line of defense against children’s problem behavior
24
SO WHAT CAN BE DONE ABOUT IT?

The first step in parental monitoring is having
the ability to monitor.
Knowing passwords
 Having access to phones
 Limiting access to phones/internet during the night

25
26
It’s 10pm, do you
know where your
children are?
I told you last
night, ‘NO’!!
27
SO WHAT CAN BE DONE ABOUT IT?

The first step in parental monitoring is having
the ability to monitor.
Knowing passwords
 Having access to phones
 Limiting access to phones/internet during the night


It’s important to start this process early, and
make necessary adjustments as children grow
older.
Think of it as similar to “you have to leave the door
open when your boy/girlfriend comes over”.
 That rule works best if it begins when boy/girlfriends
first start coming over, not when somebody’s
pregnant

28
SO WHAT CAN BE DONE ABOUT IT?

Parental monitoring is best when integrated into a
larger conversation about digital safety and
citizenship.



(These are lessons our kids need regardless of monitoring)
Lay out your expectations for what is appropriate digital
communication
Perhaps most importantly, monitoring requires
finesse and restraint
Don’t comment on their Facebook page
Don’t weigh in on any little issue that comes up
“I was reading your texts last night, and you told Susie
that you were late to third period!! How many times have I
told you that you need to get to class on time…blah blah
blah”
 “You said ‘crappy’ in your Facebook status yesterday…we
don’t swear in this house!”




What are YOUR goals for this monitoring?
29
SO WHAT CAN BE DONE ABOUT IT?

These findings also suggest that giving students
free access to their smartphones throughout the
school day may have unintended consequences
Teachers’ hands are often tied
 Many schools have recently engaged in an “if you
can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em” approach.
 Furthermore, parents’ insistence on being able to
communicate with their children throughout the
school day has been some of the largest hurdles to
administrators.

30
DO’S AND DON’TS FOR MONITORING
ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATION

Do…
…broach the subject early, openly, broadly, and
incrementally
 …take your child’s age, maturity, etc. into account
 …let your individual child guide your monitoring efforts,
but be very wary about giving up the ability to monitor
 …use this as an opportunity to improve your relationship
with your child


Don’t…
…go home and make far-reaching and instant changes
 …use you’re monitoring abilities as a way to micro-manage
your child
 …confuse your efforts to monitor as an attempt to
participate in your child’s social interactions

31
SOME RESOURCES



www.CommonSenseMedia.org
Talking Back to Facebook by
James P. Steyer
Raising Digital Families for
Dummies by Amy L. Bair
32
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
All of our BB Project participants, parents, and
teachers
 The National Institutes of Health
 R01MH63076, R01HD60995 and K02 MH073616
 Dr. Marion Underwood & Dr. Robert Ackerman
 Joanna Gentsch, Shane Solis, Dawn Brinkley, and
David More
 BlackBerry Project Research Assistants & Coders

33